• Threat follows Trump’s ultimatum to reopen Strait of Hormuz 

Iran has warned that it would target US and Israeli infrastructure across the region if its own facilities come under attack, escalating tensions following a fresh ultimatum issued by US President Donald Trump.

According to Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees military operations, a spokesperson said that any strike on Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory attacks on key facilities belonging to the US and Israel in the region.

‘‘If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and Israel in the region will be targeted,’‘ the spokesperson said in a statement reported by international media. 

The warning followed remarks made by Trump on 21 March in which he issued a 48-hour deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

“If Iran doesn’t fully open, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the US will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran would show ‘‘zero restraint’’ if its infrastructure came under attack.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained effectively disrupted since early March, with Iran restricting shipping access following military strikes carried out by the US and Israel beginning on 28 February. 

According to reports, the conflict has resulted in at least 1,300 deaths, including Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz during peacetime, making the disruption one of the most serious threats to global energy markets in recent years.

The closure has forced several countries dependent on the shipping route to explore alternative supply routes and draw down emergency fuel reserves.

Global fuel prices have surged in response to supply disruptions from the Gulf, raising fears of inflation if the conflict continues.

Meanwhile, the US military stated yesterday that it had struck and damaged an Iranian bunker believed to house weapons capable of threatening oil and gas shipments moving through the Strait.

The statement appeared aimed at reassuring international partners and energy markets, particularly after more than 20 US allies issued a joint declaration supporting efforts to restore safe passage through the strategic waterway.

Separately, Iranian Member of Parliament Alaeddin Boroujerdii claimed on state television that Iran had begun imposing fees on vessels passing through the Strait.

He alleged that some ships were being charged ‘‘a $ 2 million fee’’ under what he described as a ‘‘new governing regime’’ in the Strait, adding that ‘‘war has costs’’ and asserting that the move demonstrated the authority of the Islamic Republic.

However, international media reported that it had not been able to independently verify the claim regarding the toll.

Agencies